1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device particularly adapted to use a cartridge of continuous, flexible material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional books are made to enable the simultaneous viewing of a pair of adjacent pages and viewing any subsequent or preceding page usually requires the flipping of the pages of the book. Frequently, pages are stuck together and separating them constitutes a nuisance. Attempts have been made in the past to address the mentioned problem. The following disclosures relate to various types of reading and display devices: Kaufman (U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,986, issued Dec. 14, 1999); Dewey (U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,711, issued Jul. 19, 1994); Walker-Taylor (U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,993, issued Jun. 25, 1985); Lyman (U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,627, issued Aug. 16, 1977); Andrews (U.S. Pat. No. 3,263,354, issued Aug. 2, 1966); Rohan (U.S. Pat. No. 3,174,241, issued March. 23, 1965); and Steenland (U.S. Pat. No. 2,783,564, issued Mar. 5, 1957). The inventors believe that the cited disclosures taken alone or in combination neither anticipate nor render obvious the present invention. The foregoing citation does not constitute an admission that such disclosures are relevant or material to the claimed subject matter. Rather, the disclosures relate only to the general field of the invention and are cited as constituting the closest art of which the inventor is aware.
An objective of the invention is to provide a display device having sufficient space to expose text and/or images to be viewed as consecutive incremental portions of a ribbon adapted to be rolled or unrolled.
In general, the display device, according to the present invention, is adapted to use a cartridge of continuous flexible material terminating at each end in a tubular element, and comprises a pair of spool-rod means. Each spool-rod means includes rod means, first handle means axially engaged to one end of the rod means, and the second handle means outwardly extending at the other end of the rod means. The rod and first handle means are provided with attaching means for detachably connecting together the rod and first handle means. The rod means comprises a rod having a cross section with at least two contact surfaces extending along the whole length of the peripheral surface of the rod. The two contact surfaces are adapted to match and loosely engage the interior of the tubular element, while not allowing a relative rotational movement between the rod and first handle means.
In one aspect of this invention the rod means includes a rod having a square cross section and an end for insertion into the first handle means. This end terminates in a split segment having two legs, one of which being provided at its external end with a rounded cog extending outwardly. The first handle means has a longitudinal hole with a cross section commensurate, for a close running fit, with the rod means. Towards at least one end of the longitudinal hole, around its perimeter, a transversal notch is provided.
In another aspect of the invention a guard-disk is assembled with the rod means, proximate to one of the first and second handle means. A double guard-disk is also assembled with the rod means, at an opposite, which is proximate to one of the first and second handle means. When a pair of spool-rods is brought together, the guard and double-guard disks, which are adjacent to each other at both extremities of the rod means, interpenetrate.
In yet another aspect of this invention, a cylindrical peg extends outwardly from one of the first and second handle means and a palm roller is loosely assembled with the cylindrical peg. Means for keeping the palm roller on the cylindrical peg, while permitting a free rotation of the palm roller on the cylindrical peg, is used.
In another aspect of this invention an extension rod is used. Each of the first and second handle means are provided with a longitudinal hole open toward the outside ends of the first and second handle means. The longitudinal hole has a cross section commensurate, for a close-running fit, with the cross section of the extension rod. Both cross sections have at least two contact surfaces. A base roller means is loosely attached for rotation around an outside end of the extension rod. Thus, the spool-rod can be rotated.
In another aspect of the invention a cylindrical dowel extends inwardly from each of the handle means. A rolling collar is loosely mounted, for easy rotation, on each cylindrical dowel, and is provided with equally spaced and radially drilled blind holes. At least one separator has one end inserted into a blind hole of one of the rolling rollers, while the opposite end is inserted into another blind hole of a transversally opposite rolling collar.
Thus, at least one separator is adapted to keep the pair of spool-rods apart.
In another aspect of this invention cylindrical dowels and rolling collars, identical with those described above, are used. A frame means, having a pair of long sides, is also used. In each long side a pair of blind openings is provided. Each pair of blind openings in one long side is the mirror image of the opposite one. The blind holes are compatible with the blind openings. Two pairs of vertical bars are used to support a pair of spool-rods on the frame means. Each vertical bar has its upper end inserted into a blind hole, while its lower end is inserted into an opposite blind opening.
In another aspect of the invention, use is made of a crank insertable in the outside end of each end of the first and second handle means.
In a last aspect of this invention, carrier means is used. The carrier means comprises a handgrip having at both extremities downwardly extending split sections, each of which includes two arms. One of the arms has, at its end, a rounded tooth extending outwardly. When the split sections are inserted into or withdrawn from longitudinal holes in the handles, the teeth snap into or out of transversal notches provided in the longitudinal holes.